Village Wine Shop--A Catalyst for Positive Change in Maplewood Village

Alan and Rosetta Weiser have made Maplewood their home in more than one way. 

When Alan Weiser decided that he wanted to retire from the corporate world (he was Senior VP of the New York Power Authority) and put his knowledge of wine to work in the mid-1990s, he drove through Maplewood Village and "fell in the love with the place," said wife Rosetta. 

Weiser bought the liquor store business on Maplewood Avenue in August 1996, rechristened it the Village Wine Shop, and, by 1998, he and Rosetta had relocated from Secaucus to live in Maplewood Village.

Going from the corporate world to the retail world was an eye-opener. "I didn't realize a lot," said Alan. "It was a real learning curve," added Rosetta. "It's 24/7," said Alan. "We are open seven days a week all year. We take off Sundays. But when the guy who runs the shop on Sunday hurt his back last week, guess who ran the shop?"

The shop they inherited needed a lot of work. Rosetta noted that a soda vending machine backed up to the front window. "Alan had a vision and he transformed the store step by step," said Rosetta. The transformation process included removing that soda machine (it was attracting after-school kids and, as Rosetta said, "a wine shop is not a place for minors"), putting in new wood floors, a new ceiling, new lighting and a new awning.

"This is Maplewood's 5th Avenue," said Alan, who also serves on the design committee of the Maplewood Village Alliance, as well as on its board of trustees. Alan explained that windows offer "insight into your business" and that enforcing, encouraging and enacting good design standards is good for the community and for business.

"If you are not using your window, you're crazy," said Alan.

As new business owners, the Weisers also wanted to move the shop in a different direction. "Alan was conscious of social trends and he focused on switching from a traditional liquor store to a wine shop," said Rosetta. "We carry an eclectic selection of liquor and beer but we focus on wine. We have in store wine tastings on Saturdays, wine pairings with the reataurants and private wine tastings in people's homes."

The wine shop is indeed a class act, looking warm and inviting on a raw, rainy November day, with Italian opera playing in the background.

The Weisers get a lot of positive comments about the classical music they play. "People come in on Saturday just to hear the live broadcasts of the opera," said Rosetta. 

The Weisers have classed up the joint, but they still are mindful of people's pocketbooks in these times. Said Alan, "We'll sell a $7.99 bottle of wine but we will pick one that is a good value."

Rosetta added, "You can retail good quality wines at all levels. There is a lot more to know about wine than beer and liquor." She described how one must know their varietals and their regions in selecting a good and/or appropriate wine. 

Since buying the business, the Weisers have seen changes on Maplewood Avenue. The Maplewood Village Alliance was founded shortly after they came to town, and since then many new businesses including restaurants and home and hearth shops  and boutiques have opened. They've seen a change in their customer base as well.

"The average age has dropped dramatically," said Alan. "Our base is now young marrieds with children."

Recently, Rosetta has become very active with the Village Alliance's merchant event committee. "We did nine events this year. We never had that many before." Alan said the success of some of the events, including the first Girls Night Out "surprised the hell out of me." He noted that women were lined up outside the shop, despite the fact that the weather was "terrible."

Why so many events? "We formed because of the lethargic economy," said Rosetta. "And the economy will drive what's next." She noted that Village businesses have a lot to offer customers: "We're very service-oriented. We do gift wrapping, delivery."

The rigors of small business operation do not seem to phase Rosetta, who had to climb down 61 floors from Tower 1 of the World Trade Center on September 11. As the first female head of HR for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Rosetta spent the next few months and years after September 11, 2001, helping the families of the 74 Port Authority employees who perished collect benefits and gain access to all the resources available to them.

In 2007, Rosetta retired, five years after she had originally planned. Although she had been helping Alan since 1996, for the past two years she has been able to focus her formidable skills on the business and the Village.

"Overall," said Rosetta, "It has been a very postive experience, a pleasure." Rosetta said she can't always put a name to a face with customers, but she can put a wine to a face--she knows her customers' tastes.